Meet the Founder. Learn the History.

Protest at the Ferguson, Missouri Police Station, August 2014

Classroom Clapback began as Silver Moore’s answer to the injustices she saw in both society and schools. The summer before she stepped into her first classroom, the non-indictment of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin was announced. Silver took to the streets holding a sign that read: Teachers for Trayvon. The following summer, just days before the school year began, she traveled to Ferguson, Missouri, to protest the killing of Mike Brown and demand the conviction of Darren Wilson. On Saturday, she was on the frontlines. By Tuesday, she was back in the classroom. It was then that the work had to change. The classroom was no longer just a workplace—it was a battleground for justice.

Silver was now even more assured, with unshakable clarity, that if we are to fight against the systems that harm Black people—whether healthcare inequities, environmental racism, redlining, or generational poverty—education must be part of the strategy. As one person who deeply loves Black people, Silver knew she couldn’t do everything. Still, in the classroom, she could teach students the academic skills and competencies to thrive and the critical consciousness to dismantle the systems that try to limit them—armed with this bold, pro-Black vision—and an unwavering belief in the genius of Black children.

​Silver set out to clapback at an education system that routinely failed them. In her words, Classroom Clapback is her way to clapback at a system of miseducation that doesn’t do Black babies well.

Silver Moore’s own classroom provided the proof-of-concept for Classroom Clapback. In 2017, while 80% of her 8th graders entered the year below grade level, 70% of those students achieved two or more years of growth, and 37% finished the year above grade level – dramatic gains that demonstrated the power of culturally relevant pedagogy. Energized by this success, Silver officially launched Classroom Clapback in 2018 with just 10 curriculum units and a $300 investment. What began as a small set of teacher resources created “by any means necessary” in a Detroit classroom quickly grew wings. The name itself – Clapback – signaled a bold rebuttal to the status quo and a celebration of Black student brilliance. Silver’s early curriculum units, grounded in Black history and student voice, gained word-of-mouth popularity for their rigor, relevance, and unabashed joy.  Since her time as a classroom teacher, Silver has worked as an instructional coach supporting 6th-12th-grade teachers and currently works as the Senior Director of Middle School Curriculum and Instruction for the University Prep Schools charter network in Detroit. 

By 2021, Classroom Clapback continued to evolve in bold new directions. That year, the world watched as sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson showed up on the Olympic stage with vibrant hair, audacious confidence, and unapologetic Black girl magic. Sha’Carri’s unapologetic swag became a rallying cry for Silver: if we celebrate a Black woman’s brilliance on the track, why not celebrate that same brilliance in our classrooms? Inspired by Sha’Carri, Classroom Clapback doubled down on empowering Black girls in school. It was then that the organization began hosting educator trainings and celebrations devoted entirely to pro-Black girl pedagogy. 

Looking ahead, we remain dedicated to building the kinds of learning spaces where Black children thrive. From day one, our approach has been unapologetically pro-Black – and that will never change. We will continue equipping educators to create classrooms free from racism, classism, and all forms of oppression, and instead overflowing with tenacious joy and Black genius. The story of Classroom Clapback is still unfolding, driven by Silver Moore’s mantra of stubborn hope and radical imagination. What started as one Detroit teacher’s dream is now a growing movement, and we’re just getting started. Together, we’ll keep clapping back at injustice and building spaces where Black children can dream, achieve, and simply be – in all their joy, genius, and glory.